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‘MILAN TALKIES’ BRINGS ALI FAZAL BACK TO HOMETOWN
Internationally acclaimed actor Ali Fazal is back in his hometown Lucknow to shoot his second film. The 31-yearold actor, who has acted in ‘Furious 7’ and Judi Dench starrer ‘Victoria and Abdul’, visited the sets of ‘Milan Talkies’ on Monday—a day ahead of his schedule—to see the proceedings there.
“I am very excited. After all, it’s my hometown and I am shooting here after many years. ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ was almost shot in and around La Martiniere. However, this time around we will be shooting on proper iconic locations of Lucknow. With Tigmanshu (Dhulia) sir directing it, so it’s all the more special,” he tells HT City.
Talking about the film, Ali says, “This film is very close to my heart. It’s a sweet love story about two young people with ‘Milan Talkies’ in the core of it.”
About Gulaab Theatre, which has been turned into the ‘Milan Talkies’, he says, “I have come to Gulaab but I don’t remember watching a film here. In fact, I can recall coming here with friends and then sneaking into Christian College to savour economical canteen food and after chilling around, leaving for home. But otherwise I used to be a regular to Aminabad and other places.”
Ali was recently on the red carpet of the Academy Awards. “I feel very proud, coming from nowhere and without any film background I am representing my country on the global level. We need that now and I am happy to be a part of it to bridge the gap between Hollywood and Bollywood. I am working here and there too and balancing both. ‘Victoria and Abdul’ was nominated for the Oscars in two categories. So like I started here (Indian film industry), I have started there and hoping more will happen,” he says. Ali did not disclose his international projects. “I will be shooting for two Hollywood projects. I can’t announce any of it right now but will be announcing in a month or two,” the actor shares, adding he may be a part of a franchise (other than ‘Fast & Furious’) which is big.
He has recently shot for the movie ‘Mirzapur’. “It’s a project by Amazon and Excel Entertainment. We shot in Varanasi and it’s a story set in Mirzapur. It has an ensemble star cast including myself, Vikrant Massey, Pankaj
Tripathi, Shweta Tripathi, Shreya Pilgaonkar, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and many more,” he says.
Buoyed by the success of his last film ‘Fukrey Returns’, the actor says, “Mirg (director Mrighdeep Singh Lamba) wanted to be very sure about
the script and this is why we took four years to make it. We were very hopeful about the film and it worked well. Now, if the part 3 is made next, audience can be sure that it will again be something new and wacky.”